O-C Tech computer with personal data stolen

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College has notified local law enforcement officials that a laptop computer was stolen from a staff member’s office earlier this week.

The college has spent the past two days verifying personally identifiable information that was on the computer, a release said.

The computer, which was password protected, contained data files that included the names, birth dates, and social security numbers of former and current students and faculty members. The data was not stored in an easily recognizable format, and the college has no indication that any of this data was accessed or used in any way.

The college is in the process of notifying students and faculty who were included in the files. As a precautionary measure, the college is advising these individuals to closely monitor their credit reports and reminding them that everyone is entitled to a free credit report each year at www.annualcreditreport.com.

“College officials were disappointed to learn that someone entered a staff member’s office on campus and removed a computer,” said Kim Huff, Vice President for Business Affairs. “We are evaluating our security controls to prevent further incidents.”

The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs has been notified of this incident.

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